The Avengers smash Harry Potter box office record for best opening weekend

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Action superhero movie The Avengers has set a new record for the biggest US box office opening weekend, pulling in an incredible $200.3 million (£124.2 million) in ticket sales.

The previous record holder, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011), had an opening weekend of $169.2 million.

Distributor Disney has estimated that The Avengers is also on its way to become the first movie ever to make $200 million in a single weekend. (The final weekend count has yet to be released.)

The Joss Whedon-directed movie has already sold $641.8 million's worth of tickets worldwide, out-grossing The Hunger Games to become 2012's top selling film so far.

The film stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L Jackson. (Jackson is the current Guinness World Record holder for the highest-grossing movie actor of all time.)

On its opening day at the UK box office last month, The Avengers ( Avengers Assemble in the UK) made £2.5 million.

This is the third biggest opening of all time in the UK, behind Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith.